We are of the ilk that a book should be purchased to be read and loved rather than to symbolize status or become a signifier of wealth and taste. At the same time, there is hardly a thing we enjoy more than our collection of gorgeous (and well-read) coffee table books. That is why we are enamored with these gorgeous editions of popular classics…

White’s Books, former Penguin Books designer David Pearson’s new publishing house, is bringing forth affordable fine editions of the best-loved classics. Renowned artists are commissioned to design the binding for each of these beautifully crafted hardcovers. Petra Borner (a fashion designers that has worked for Louis Vuitton) Stanley Donwood (a wood- and lino-cut artist that is best known for designing Radiohead’s album covers) and Joe McLaren (an illustrator for The Times and Monocle) are just a few of the great designers White’s Books has recruited to create original covers.Using brass printing blocks, the designs created by these artists are printed onto cloth covers. On sewn-in pages, the text is manually typeset and the page design is adapted to each book. These are gorgeous and affordable fine editions of great classics that become design pieces as well as gorgeous keepsakes.Currently, White’s Books has published Jane Eyre, The Christmas Books, Treasure Island, and Sonnets and Poems. Look for Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice coming in June. Right now, White's editions are available in the U.S. only through Amazon.com, but they plan to begin distributing in the states later this year.

We love the idea of having a set of old favorites to display—and also to keep for years and years to come. We see these potentially becoming a new family heirloom that can be passed on!